Rudbeckia plant named ‘Lion Cub’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Rudbeckia plant having cupped to quilled, golden-colored ray florets, a short, rounded habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical classification: Rudbeckia hirta.

Varietal denomination: ‘Lion Cub’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention is a new and distinct Rudbeckia plant having the varietal name ‘Lion Cub’. Rudbeckia is in the family Asteraceae. ‘Lion Cub’ is a selection from a planned breeding program that originated from a controlled cross between unnamed, unpatented, and proprietary Rudbeckia hirta seedlings. The seed parent has a small habit with semi-double, yellow-orange flowers. The pollen parent has a medium habit with semi-double, gold flowers.

Compared to the annual Rudbeckia plant named ‘Maya’ (unpatented), the new cultivar is more gold colored than yellow and is more consistent in height and flower form. Compared to Rudbeckia plant named ‘Henry Eilers’ (unpatented), ‘Lion Cub’ is an annual, not a perennial, has fully double flowers and is much shorter than ‘Henry Eilers’.

The new variety has only been reproduced by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots performed in Canby, Oregon shows that the characteristics and distinctions described herein come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

When compared to other Rudbeckia plants known to the breeder, the new variety is characterized by the following:

-   -   1. Inflorescences with cupped to quilled, golden-colored ray         florets;     -   2. A short, rounded habit; and     -   3. Excellent vigor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic drawings illustrate the new variety at approximately 6 months of age, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with color illustrations of this type:

FIG. 1 illustrates a close-up view of the new variety in Canby, Oregon; and

FIG. 2 illustrates plants of the new variety in the field in full sun in Canby, Oregon in early October.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new variety based on observations of 6-month-old plants that were grown outside under full sun in Canby, Oregon (USDA Zone 8). Temperatures range from a high of 35° C. in August to a low of 0° C. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby, Oregon is around 1 m per year. Color references are based on The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, 5^(th) Edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous annual.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones annual.         -   Size.—40.0 cm wide and 40.0 cm tall from the top of the soil             to the top of the inflorescences.         -   Form.—Basal clump, with about 20 stems from the base.         -   Vigor.—High. -   Flowering stems:     -   -   Type.—Ascending, branching where flowering only.         -   Inflorescences per stem.—From 3 to 15.         -   Size.—About 6.0 cm tall to the start of a flowering branch             and 3.0 to 3.5 cm wide at the base.         -   Internode length.—From 3.0 cm to 5.0 cm.         -   Texture.—Strigose.         -   Color.—RHS 145A, with thin, vertical bands of RHS 146C             present. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Cuneate to lanceolate.         -   Size.—Overall to 6.5 cm long and 2.3 cm wide, terminal             leaflets grow to 7.5 cm long and 5.0 mm wide, and lateral             leaflets grow to 4.0 cm long and 2.0 cm wide.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Texture.—Strigose on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate, with 3 main veins extending from the base             on each leaflet.         -   Upper surface color.—RHS 137B, with venation color of RHS             N137B.         -   Lower surface color.—RHS 137D, with venation color of RHS             N137B.         -   Petiole.—Length: To 2.5 mm. Width: 1.5 mm, measured above             the clasp. Texture: Strigose. Color: RHS 145C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Composite.         -   Number of flowering branches from stem.—3 to 15.         -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 35.0 cm tall from the start of the             flowering branches to the base of the terminal inflorescence             and 5 to 10 side branches grow to 4.0 cm taller than the             terminal inflorescence. The cluster of inflorescences grows             to 12.0 cm long and 10.0 cm wide. The leaves on the             flowering branches are simple, ovate in shape, and grow to             7.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. Their margins are serrate, base             attenuate, tip acute, and have an upper surface color of RHS             137B, lower surface color of 137D, and venation color of RHS             N137B.         -   Width.—To 6.5 cm.         -   Depth.—1.5 cm.         -   Form.—Ray florets are held mostly horizontally and a mature             disc is rounded.         -   Bloom period.—May through October in Canby, Oregon.         -   Lastingness on the plant.—About 2-3 weeks in Canby, Oregon.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Fertility.—Moderate. -   Flower bud (immature inflorescence):     -   -   Form.—Ray florets held upright and tubular.         -   Width.—2.5 cm.         -   Depth.—2.0 cm.         -   Color.—Ray florets: RHS 151B and tinted RHS N144C. Disc: RHS             203B. -   Ray florets:     -   -   Number.—From 24 to 30.         -   Shape.—Linear and cupped, with the apex being 5-lobed — each             lobe is ovate in shape, with entire margins and acute tips.         -   Length.—2.3 cm.         -   Width.—4.5 to 5.0 mm.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Upper surface: Pubescent. Inner surface: Glabrous.         -   Color (both surfaces).—RHS N167D at the base, with the apex             being RHS 163B. The bottom surface has a tint of RHS 163B             present at the base.         -   Pistil.—None.         -   Stamen.—None. -   Disc/disc florets:     -   -   Disc.—Shape: Rounded. Depth: To 12.0 mm. Width: To 12.0 mm.             Color: RHS 203B.         -   Disc florets.—Number: About 450 and bisexual. Shape: 5-lobed             (triangular lobes) with a tubular, glandular corolla.             Overall length: 6.0 mm. Overall width: 1.5 mm. Corolla             length: 3.0 mm. Corolla width: 1.5 mm. Color: RHS N186B.             Pistil: 1; 7.0 mm long; RHS N186D. Ovary: 3.0 mm long; RHS             NN155B. Style: 4.0 mm long; RHS N186B. Stigma: 2-branched;             RHS 187A. Stamen: 5; 7.0 mm long; RHS 187A. Pollen: RHS 17A. -   Phyllaries:     -   -   Description.—3 leafy series that grow in area to 2.6 cm wide             and 5.0 mm deep.         -   Lobes.—Shape: Lanceloate and slightly reflexed. Length:             9.0 mm. Width: 3.0 mm. Color (both sides): RHS 139A. Margin:             Entire. Apex: Acuminate. Texture (both sides): Strigose. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Width.—10.0 mm.         -   Depth.—8.0 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 146B. -   Seeds:     -   -   Length.—2.0 mm.         -   Width.—0.75 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 203B. -   Pests/diseases: No unusual resistance or susceptibility noted to     date. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Rudbeckia plant named ‘Lion Cub’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 